The chosid arranged for himself a yechidus, and told the Rebbe about his dilemma. The Rebbe instructed him to open a chumash, randomly, and look into Rashi on the page to which he would open, and he would find his answer there (this was before the Igros were printed....).
The chosid went out and opened a chumash, and it opened to the beginning of Parshas Lech lecho. But, while he found many beautiful Rashi’s, with many beautiful brochos, he didn’t see anything that seemed relevant to his question.
He went back into the Rebbe with the chumash, saying that he was still not enlightened. The Rebbe opened the chumash (to the same page to which he had opened), and immediately pointed to the Rashi on the page (the end of dibur hamaschil והיה ברכה) where Rashi writes "בך חותמין" (lit. “in you they will sign”), and the Rebbe told him that this was his clear answer - to sign!
The chosid left the Rebbe’s room and remarked: “For the Rebbe to open a chumash to a place that contains a Divine message is natural, but for the Rebbe to cause that I should be able to do that, - that is the greatness of the Rebbe”!
In this week’s Parsha we learn about all of the wondrous experiences that Eliezer encountered while seeking a wife for Yitzchok. Of course, the miracles themselves were noteworthy, to the point that, upon his return, he saw fit the recount them to Yitzchok (as Rashi interprets on the Possuk ויספר העבד ליצחק את כל הדברים אשר עשה).
But there are many miracles throughout sefer Bereishis. It is the story of the lives of the Avos, and their lives were intertwined with miracles in every way.
What is, perhaps, unique about the miracles we learn about this week, is the fact that they happened to Eliezer. Not to disparage Eliezer in any way, but he was after all no more than a slave. True, עבד בית אבות, and one who was the דולה ומשקה מתורת רבו לאחרים etc. But still, a mere slave, who had to reminded by Avrohom Avinu himself (when he sought to become his mechutan) that he was an arrur, - accursed. Lavan hoArami was found to be a more worthy mechutan than him!
And yet, in our Parsha, it is none other than this Eliezer who is the star of the story and the recipient of these amazing miracles! He travels with kefitzas haderech (as if he is the Baal Shem Tov). His davening is effective before he is done saying it. Suddenly it sounds as if he is the Rebbe, - he is the tzaddik!
And perhaps this, more than the other stories, teaches us the true greatness of Avrohom Avinu. That Avrohom himself – and the other Avos – experienced miracles throughout his travels is not unexpected. He was, after all, Avrohom Avinu, one of the holy Avos who were each a merkavah, a chariot, to Hashem. Naturally, when Paaroh or Avimelech threaten him or his family Hashem intervenes in the most wondrous way. It is only fitting that when someone of his stature goes out to fight a war, for example, they experience supernatural victories. And so on.
But Eliezer was merely the slave. And, once he left the sphere of Avrohom, one would think that he would be governed by the laws of nature (as Hagar said, הגם הלום ראיתי אחרי רואי). And yet Avrohom’s greatness was such that he imbued even Eliezer – when working on his behalf – with supernatural powers. Even Eliezer was not confined to nature while serving his master.
In fact (as the Rebbe explains in a beautiful sicha at length), this was the essence of the brocho that Avrohom bestowed upon Eliezer before he left: - ישלח מלאכו לפניך. Avrohom informed Eliezer in advance that this would be a miraculous trip, in which Hashem’s blessing would precede him and pave the way for him at every step.
This helps us undertand why it was necessary for Eliezer to tell Lovon and Besuel ואבואה היום אל העין, informing them of his experience of kefitzas haderech. This was the best way for him to convey to them the true greatness of Avrohom, in the fact he caused even his slave’s travels to transcend nature!
This Shabbos is the kinus hashluchim, and it is a time to focus on the shluchim and their extraordinary accomplishments throughout the world. It is a time, as well, to reflect and marvel at one of the most amazing aspects of this phenomenon: That the Rebbe is not constrained by nature, and that he could perform a multitude of miracles, - well, what then, he is a Rebbe after all! But that the Rebbe can imbue “plain” couples, young men and women, with the powers to go to a place and operate beyond the parameters of teva, of nature, is what is truly wondrous!
But we can’t forget a crucial factor. Eliezer never doubted his master. I’m sure he knew who he was, and didn’t secretly fantasize that he was a tzaddik or a Rebbe. Despite his secret dreams of doing a shiduch with Avrohom Avinu, he was doubtless a מכיר את מקומו, who recognized his position as a mere slave (we don’t find him being shocked, or insulted, when Avrohom pointed out that he was an ארור).
But he was fully conscious of the limitlessness of his abilities when acting on behalf of his master. He davened – set out the criteria for his mission to be successful – with absolute certainty and trust in the supernatural success of his endeavors (to the point that Chazal describe his prayer as being שלא כהוגן, as being, perhaps overconfident). And, indeed, it then turned out that the miracle was underway even before he began his tefilah, merely waiting for him to do his part!
We go on our shlichus, each of us in our designated area, and we (sometimes) become overwhelmed by the challenges and the obstacles. We may say to ourselves: ‘Of course I know that the Rebbe can perform miracles, but what right to I have to expect that I will experience them?’ We question, with rationale and reason, our own worthiness and – therefore – the justifiability of us expecting that we transcend nature.
But, in truth, as long as we remain true to our mission, the Rebbe clears the way before us; - we merely have to know that this is the case, and adjust our perspective and expectations. Because it is not our own worthiness that warrants the nissim, but, rather by virtue of the fact that we are shluchim, acting on behalf of our meshaleach, our Rebbe.
The Story of the Shach
Rabbi Shabsi Kohen, the famous author of the shach, was at one time living in Vilna (perhaps this in his later years, after he was reunited with his daughter and son in law, who resided in Vilna). R’ Shabsi used to learn for many hours on the rooftop (probably the place where he found peace and tranquility and was able to immerse himself in his studies without any distractions)
During his learning, he used to pace back and forth, on the roof, lost in intense thought. At these times, he would be caught up in his own world and would be completely unaware of his surroundings. Thus, it would often happen, that during his pacing he did not notice that he came to the edge of the roof. He would continue walking – on thin air – and onto the adjoining roof, and then walk back, without realizing what he was doing!
The Rebbe once explained that we need not view the story as supernatural, but rather as something that can be explained rationally: With the shach, his intellect dominated his being to such a degree that his physical body was completely secondary to his intellect and governed by it. Since for intellect it is not imperative for it to fall, because it is not controlled by physical characteristics, and it is not extraordinary for it to travel from roof to roof, it was therefore not a remarkable feat, for the shach, for his body to do the same.
When we contemplate the formidable tasks facing us as shluchim, we need to remember that what may seem daunting to us is not remarkable at all for our “head”. If we are our own independent entity, then we may have cause for concern. But if we are secondary to the “head”, then whatever is not impossible for the head is likewise not impossible for us. We should not limit the Rebbe by our own shortcomings, the Rebbe can imbue the power of miracles into us as well. In fact, this is the true story of shlichus.
Let us properly take advantage of the hisorerus of this Shabbos, of the kinus hashluchim, to make sure that we are first and foremost shluchim. We each have our shlichus, and we have to remember that as long as we identify ourselves as עבד אברהם אנכי, as being secondary to – and governed exclusively by – the Rebbe, then our abilities, too, become unlimited, regardless of who we may be. Then the greatest challenges become insignificant, even walking on air is not impossible for the sake of our shlichus. And with our bittul to our meshaleach, to the Rebbe, we are assured of hatzlocho, supernatural success, in every aspect of our shlichus (as was experienced by Eliezer eved Avrohom), and especially in the primary and most important shlichus: - to bring Moshiach Now!
L’chaim! As we prepare for the chodesh hageula, while marking the kinus hashluchim, let us refocus on and rededicate ourselves to our shlichus; - both the individual shlichus with which we were each entrusted, and the collective shlichichus to which they must all lead - the immediate hisgalus of Moshiach Tzidkeinu NOW!!!
Rabbi Akiva Wagner
לזכות שד"ב בן מרים שי', לאויוש"ט מתוך בריאות הנכונה וכט"ס בטוב הנרו הנ"ג!
לזכות הרה"ת אהרן בן חנה, לרפו"ש ו"ק ואויוש"ט
לזכות הרה"ח ר' מ"מ הכהן בן חוה, לרפו"ש ובריאות הנכונה ואויוש"ט
